Selection of high-power nanosecond pulses from large-aperture CO2 oscillators

Abstract

A high-contrast 6 J, 3 ns pulse has been obtained from an injection mode-locked TEA CO2 oscillator using an extracavity SF6-He saturable absorber to suppress the prepulse energy to <1 μJ and an intracavity semiconductor transmission switch to suppress postpulses. The techniques described in this chapter will allow the frequency and transverse-mode control of an oscillator to be maintained to much higher powers than are presently possible.